Infrared Motion Detector

Cameras hoped to make level crossings safer

JANIS KINNEAR

Staff Reporter

PLANS are afoot for CCTV cameras to be rolled out to a further five of the province’s deadliest level crossings, providing footage which could see offenders face prosecution.

A pilot project has already seen one camera installed at the White Road level crossing in Retreat, which was identified through a risk assessment by Metrorail and Transnet as one of six of the province’s most dangerous crossings.

The camera system forms part of a strategy by the Safely Home Level Crossing Task Team to better secure crossings and clamp down on vehicles dodging booms.

Headed by Transport and Public Works MEC Robin Carlisle, the team was set up to investigate how to reduce accidents following the horror crash at the Buttskop level crossing in Blackheath in August last year, which saw 10 schoolchildren killed after their taxi driver allegedly ignored the boom and the taxi was hit by a train.

Hector Eliott, head of the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works, said the team has partnered with the Rail Safety Regulator to ensure that physical checks and risk evaluations were conducted regularly at level crossings.

He said the pilot project at the Retreat level crossing was launched last week.

The crossing was selected after Metrorail rated it as having a high traffic flow, and noted that the booms had been knocked off in almost 50 incidents reported between 2007 and 2010.

According to Eliott, the system consists of one camera paired with an infrared motion detector that notes when a vehicle enters the crossing.

“It is powered by the same circuit as the existing lights and booms at the crossing, and thus comes into operation when a train is approaching,” he explained.

The camera was provided by Syntell, a company which is also the city’s service provider for its usual speed cameras.

Footage assessment will be conducted by Cape Town Traffic Services, which will also issue fines.

Eliott said that since the initial installation, sample clips extracted had shown almost 15 motorists a day ignoring the stop street after the lights had already come on. They also noted a truck using the White Road crossing, which was illegal.

Motion Detectors and Other Security Extras – Everything You Need ...

You may not know it, but the person outside your gate may be planning to break in your house- even if the person doesn’t “look” like a burglar. Criminals are crafty and they know they can appear less suspicious by dressing professionally. Assumptions like this can make you easy prey, which is why security systems for businesses or homes are an important part of keeping you and your belongings safe. Alarm systems for the home coupled with motion detectors are effective security devices against burglars. Having one installed in your home is one of the most important security steps you can take.

Combinations of sensors and other technology has taken Security Essentials home security in the 21st century with the advent of video cameras and infrared detection systems. Motion detectors are perfect solutions for home security because they are inexpensive to buy, easy to install and are very effective in providing an element of surprise for any would be burglar. However, the infrared goes deep to not only detect intruders, but the ability to follow them without their knowledge.

As they are named, this kind of security system senses motion. They come in different types and forms. Some of the most common detectors include:

(1) the passive infrared motion detector – a type of detector that immediately senses human body heat,

(2) A detector that transmits pulses,

(3) ultrasonic units – a detector that sends out pulses and reflections from a moving target.

This is a great addition to your detector and other forms of home alarms systems . Should an intruder trigger your motion detector, a floodlight switches on in the area not only blinding the burglar for the moment, but also giving him an instant message that he is being watched. This also alerts you and anyone else in the area that an intruder is present. Connecting a siren system along with your detector and floodlights are great and effective additions.

Handbook of Modern Sensors, Physics, Designs, and Applications

The measurement, instrumentation, and sensors handbook

Passive Infrared Motion Sensor (PIMS) (Preliminary). Operation and Maintenance Manual

CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional Study Guide

Wireless infrared motion detector